Bill Clinton still the lion that makes Democrats roar

Thursday

Aug 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 28, 2008 at 1:10 AM

It’s still Bill’s party. Convention attendees said former President Bill Clinton pushed the unity theme several notches higher Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in a speech that he had trouble starting due to several minutes of raucous cheering by the thousands at the Pepsi Center.

Andy Thompson

It’s still Bill’s party.

Convention attendees said former President Bill Clinton pushed the unity theme several notches higher Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in a speech that he had trouble starting due to several minutes of raucous cheering by the thousands at the Pepsi Center.

Shawn Hogan, Hornell, N.Y., mayor, Steuben County Democratic Party chairman and a Hillary Clinton delegate representing the 29th Congressional District, said Clinton was “the hit of the night” even with Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the house.

“It was classic Clinton, man,”?Hogan said Thursday. “He can raise the goose pimples on the back of your head. What a speaker.”

Hogan said Clinton couldn’t speak for several minutes: “The place erupted ... he was just drowned out.”

When Clinton finally gained delegates’ attention, he spoke on the need for party unity.

“He did a great job pushing the unity theme,”?said Hogan, with Clinton telling delegates that “Barack Obama was more than qualified to be the president of the U.S.”

An unexpected surprise was the arrival of Obama and Biden, after Clinton’s speech. Presidential nominees typically wait until the end of party conventions to take the stage.

“Nobody expected Obama to show up,”?Hogan said.

Hogan said that outside the convention center there was are all kinds of odd behavior associated with the fringes of politics.

“My wife (Holly) said she saw an ostrich with a political sign on it. There’s all kinds of wacko protesters out here, there’s trucks painted up, a truck with Osama Bin Laden painted on it, real gross pictures of abortion, real wacko religious trucks,”?Hogan said.

Yet there are telling events as well.

“Yesterday they had a huge protest of veterans against the war; 4,000 marched from downtown to the Pepsi Arena.

“There are things you don’t see every day -- people with one-story hats on.”

As for Hogan, he has shunned the wild hats and outfits. “I’m very subdued. I was in bed at 10 o’clock last night. This wears you out.”